Advice Centre
In-car Technology - Buyer's Guides
What Are Camera Detectors?
Camera detectors are detectors that you mount on the dashboard that alert you to speed cameras.
The main features are:
- They alert you to fixed speed cameras and possible mobile units.
- They warn you about accident blackspots and congestion zones.
- They announce and display the legal speed limit.
- The bright LED display enables day and night operation.
- Camera updates are available online.
Check out our wide range of camera detectors.
Sat navs also have the capacity to identify the location of known, fixed, safety camera sites (possibly with a service subscription required) and alert you when a speed camera is imminent.
How Do GPS And Radar And Laser Detectors Differ?
There are several diffences between GPS and radar and laser, they are:
- GPS Safety Camera location warning detectors hold a database of Government publicised fixed camera locations. Some also carry details of known accident blackspots and school locations. They do not detect anything but compare your current GPS position with the known position in their database, and warn you if you are approaching one of these areas. These will not be illegal under current proposals.
- Radar and laser detectors are designed to sense the frequency of transmissions from police radar and laser speed detection equipment and alert you to their presence. These may become illegal if new proposals are adopted. Halfords will not compensate or refund customers for products that become illegal to use as a result of any changes in legislation or enforcement.
Check out our wide range of camera detectors.
Talex Safety Camera Detectors
There has been some concern over the availability of updates for the Talex Lite detector after the supplier, Embedded Technology Ltd, went into receivership.
You can buy Talex at Halfords.
However, this will benefit many people who need the updates in the future. If you already have the Talex update kit and the required Talex USB lead you can obtain lifetime updates from Novus Systems free of charge.
Update kits can also be purchased directly from Novus Systems.
To get the new updates you need to download them from Novus GPS. If you download updates from the existing Talex Utility, it will result in the database being replaced with the same data and not receiving any new information. Novus systems are available to support customers on 0845 659 0959.
Check out our wide range of camera detectors.
Will Camera Detectors Become Illegal?
There are nearly one million motorists just one conviction away from a driving ban due to penalty points accrued from speed convictions, so camera detectors are a vital piece of equipment.
They can help motorists to drive within speed limits, avoid penalties, warn them of congestion zones and alert them to the position of speed cameras.
Camera detectors are currently not illegal but detectors with radar and laser detection may become illegal if proposed legislation is adopted by the Department for Transport.
However, all of the products that we currently have, including Road Angel, Snooper and Talex, can have the radar and laser function disabled.
They can then continue to be used as GPS Safety Camera and blackspot location warning detectors, even if this law does come into force.
Check out our wide range of camera detectors.
Why Do Halfords Sell These Detectors?
Halfords no longer sell detectors that only detect radar and laser, however some of the GPS models available do have a radar and/or laser facility either built in or as separate plug-in modules.
If the plans to make radar and laser illegal do come into force then it will be possible to disable them on the dual purpose detectors by:
- Unplugging the separate modules.
- Via the user menu on the detector or downloading updated firmware software on your PC.
Once the radar and laser has been disabled you will be able to continue to use the detector.
Check out our wide range of camera detectors.
